Parents have been warned that under-15 yrs old should not drink alcohol even under supervision. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell issue new guidance, that alcohol harmed a child’s physical development. “The younger people start drinking, the greater the impact on their health,” he said.
The challenge was to accept children would do what they were told not to and to protect them as they did. The new guidance, You, Your Children and Alcohol, aims to help protect children and young people from the risks linked to alcohol consumption.
The Welsh Assembly Government quotes research which shows that 40% of Welsh 15-year-olds drink alcohol on a weekly basis, with 20% having been drunk for the first time at 13 or under. A spokesman said a public awareness campaign would begin in July and a video booth was available on the assembly government’s stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod to gauge young people’s views on alcohol.
The views gathered would help inform the development of campaigns to tackle alcohol misuse in young people. Alcohol-free childhood is the ideal for all children. All of us as adults need to set the right example so that children can learn how to treat alcohol responsibly. We also need to ensure children aren’t tempted to buy or get hold of cheap alcohol and the easiest way to do this would be to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.
Longer term consequences mean very little to younger people. It’s really difficult to take a long-term view at that age. It’s about facing the fact that they will have a binge when they are under 15 and giving them the advice that keeps them safe while they are doing it.
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